A history of Georgia water planning
This chronology identifies milestones that help place the historical document collection in context. It is a guide to the planning program, not a complete history of Georgia's water law, droughts or interstate disputes.
| Period | Milestone | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act provided the basis for developing a statewide plan | Establishes the framework preceding the regional documents |
| January 2008 | The General Assembly adopted the State Water Plan | Provides the statewide basis for the regional planning cycle |
| 2009-2011 | Regional councils developed the first plans, supported by forecasts and resource assessments | Explains the period represented by our historical collection |
| May 2011 | The recovered historical catalog linked to initial recommended plans for consultation | Identifies an earlier edition that should be distinguished from the adopted files |
| September 2011 | The recovered adopted-plan documents carry this publication date | Identifies the edition described by the ten main document guides |
| December 2011 | EPD's statewide highlights report brought together an account of the first cycle | Provides an introductory overview across planning regions |
| 2017 | A later regional revision cycle updated the first plans | Creates a new comparison point rather than a replacement date for every historical citation |
| July 2023 | EPD announced adoption of updated plans from the ten councils | Confirms another distinct generation of regional documents |
| December 9, 2025 | The State Water Council approved updates to Section 14 of the State Water Plan, according to EPD | Shows that the statewide framework also requires edition checking |
The 2004, 2008 and 2025 entries are supported by EPD's State Water Plan page. The regional sequence is described in EPD's 2023 adoption notice. The consultation and publication dates are documented in our historical catalogs and highlights guide.
Publication and adoption are different dates
A report may be dated when it was prepared, reviewed by a council later and formally adopted at another stage. Do not turn a date printed on a cover into a precise adoption date without an adoption record.
For example, our collection uses September 2011 as the edition date on the recovered adopted-plan files. Where a question depends on the date of a particular administrative action, consult the action record as well as the PDF.
A planning cycle changes more than the cover year
Updated plans can use different forecasts, model periods, assessment locations or reporting categories. That means a numerical difference between editions may reflect a change in evidence or method as well as a change in the physical water system.
EPD documents several changes made in its 2017 surface-water assessment, including a longer hydrologic record, revised forecasts, additional assessment points and use of irrigation-meter information. Assessment history.
The history of this website is separate
The present project is independently operated under new domain ownership. Its preservation of old addresses does not establish institutional continuity with the former website. An old citation points to a historical source; the new page helps identify that source and locate an external copy.
Continue with the document library, the Middle Ocmulgee comparison or our editorial method.